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Magic and Romance #2
The Fake Divination Offense
Orok Half-giant. Rawball defensive tank on the Philadelphia Hellhounds. Follower of Urzoth...only Orok’s tired of following the god of aggression.
Alexo Cheerleader. Human? A dancer with a stadium’s worth of secrets.
When Orok saves Alexo at a bar, fans go feral for the star athlete protecting the pint-size dude-in-distress. The Hellhounds propose that Orok and Alexo start a PR relationship to put a positive spin on Orok’s god. Orok is set to refuse and renounce Urzoth—but that wouldn’t let him see Alexo again.
So, like a sap, he agrees.
As Orok tries to drop the fake part of their fake-relationship, Alexo’s dangerous truths emerge. To save him, Orok will have to sacrifice far more than his divine association.
Alexo Cheerleader. Human? A dancer with a stadium’s worth of secrets.
When Orok saves Alexo at a bar, fans go feral for the star athlete protecting the pint-size dude-in-distress. The Hellhounds propose that Orok and Alexo start a PR relationship to put a positive spin on Orok’s god. Orok is set to refuse and renounce Urzoth—but that wouldn’t let him see Alexo again.
So, like a sap, he agrees.
As Orok tries to drop the fake part of their fake-relationship, Alexo’s dangerous truths emerge. To save him, Orok will have to sacrifice far more than his divine association.
336 pages, Paperback
First published May 19, 2026
About the author
Sara Raasch
26 books7,992 followersSara Raasch has known she was destined for bookish things since the age of five, when her friends had a lemonade stand and she tagged along to sell her hand-drawn picture books too. Not much has changed since then — her friends still cock concerned eyebrows when she attempts to draw things and her enthusiasm for the written word still drives her to extreme measures. Her debut YA fantasy, SNOW LIKE ASHES, the first in a trilogy, came out October 14, 2014 from Balzer + Bray. It does not feature her hand-drawn pictures.
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Did Not Finish
May 9, 2026Yeahhh no. Dnf at 30%.
I’m genuinely disappointed because I LOVED book 1 in this series! But tell me why Orok (the MC) was so obsessed with a man that he never so much as had a proper conversation with—even 30% of the way in!! Also, why is he so damn angry??
I was hoping for a cute fake-dating sports romance with plenty of spice. Instead, the MC, Orok, keeps giving me the ick. Their fake relationship makes ZERO sense. Also, the fake dating “dates” haven’t even happened on the page for the readers but were mentioned in passing?? Wtf!? The MC himself reads as a repetitive, angry person. He growls and acts closed off but internally whines all through the first third of this book.
Why he feels a sense of ownership toward Alexo, I have absolutely no clue. These two DON’T EVEN SPEAK. I can’t tell you a single thing about Alexo (the MMC) other than that Orok ogled him in a slimy way that made my nose wrinkle when he was in his booty shorts cheerleading uniform. 😑
Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio. What a shame because I really was looking forward to loving this, but it’s a no from me, dawg.
━━━━ ⊱⋆⊰ ━━━━
Book 1's review here:
The Entanglement of Rival Wizards
I’m genuinely disappointed because I LOVED book 1 in this series! But tell me why Orok (the MC) was so obsessed with a man that he never so much as had a proper conversation with—even 30% of the way in!! Also, why is he so damn angry??
I was hoping for a cute fake-dating sports romance with plenty of spice. Instead, the MC, Orok, keeps giving me the ick. Their fake relationship makes ZERO sense. Also, the fake dating “dates” haven’t even happened on the page for the readers but were mentioned in passing?? Wtf!? The MC himself reads as a repetitive, angry person. He growls and acts closed off but internally whines all through the first third of this book.
Why he feels a sense of ownership toward Alexo, I have absolutely no clue. These two DON’T EVEN SPEAK. I can’t tell you a single thing about Alexo (the MMC) other than that Orok ogled him in a slimy way that made my nose wrinkle when he was in his booty shorts cheerleading uniform. 😑
Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio. What a shame because I really was looking forward to loving this, but it’s a no from me, dawg.
━━━━ ⊱⋆⊰ ━━━━
Book 1's review here:
The Entanglement of Rival Wizards
March 12, 2026
Sara Raasch I fear you've lost me with this one. I unfortunately have no idea what this book was trying to be. It's a sports romance where hardly any sports actually happen. The stakes are way too high for this to be a typical rom com (with the whole demonic human sacrifice cult subplot) but also every problem was so easily solved or glossed over that you can't really call this action/thriller either.
We spent a decent portion of the book building up some future face-off between Orok and his former teammates in the playoffs. But then that team didn't even make the playoffs. A random team never mentioned before does. Okay, we'll just leave that unresolved. Surely, though, there will be some consequences for Orok being late to the playoffs for plot reasons, right? No! They actually won off-page! Life is good. Okay, but you may ask: Orok spends most of the book agonizing over leaving his religion. Surely there's some satisfying tension and resolution followed by catharsis with this major part of his character, correct? That's generally how storytelling works, yes? Nah, he just said no more god and his overzealous religious parents were immediately and uncharacteristically okay with it. What is the point!!!!!
Two stars for these issues alone. Other personal gripes I had that don't impact my rating but that I want to bring up:
1. I hated Orok and Bel together. What in the TikTok billionaire boyfriend was this? This is the closest an author can come to reinventing the omegaverse without impregnating someone.
2. The karaoke. God!!!!! Stop singing!!!! You're telling me young gay people in 2026 unironically sang Journey, Taylor Swift, and a heartfelt duet of My Heart Will Go On? Be so incredibly serious with me I know there's a deeply heterosexual millennial under that Scooby Doo cartoon villain mask you CANNOT do this to me.
We spent a decent portion of the book building up some future face-off between Orok and his former teammates in the playoffs. But then that team didn't even make the playoffs. A random team never mentioned before does. Okay, we'll just leave that unresolved. Surely, though, there will be some consequences for Orok being late to the playoffs for plot reasons, right? No! They actually won off-page! Life is good. Okay, but you may ask: Orok spends most of the book agonizing over leaving his religion. Surely there's some satisfying tension and resolution followed by catharsis with this major part of his character, correct? That's generally how storytelling works, yes? Nah, he just said no more god and his overzealous religious parents were immediately and uncharacteristically okay with it. What is the point!!!!!
Two stars for these issues alone. Other personal gripes I had that don't impact my rating but that I want to bring up:
1. I hated Orok and Bel together. What in the TikTok billionaire boyfriend was this? This is the closest an author can come to reinventing the omegaverse without impregnating someone.
2. The karaoke. God!!!!! Stop singing!!!! You're telling me young gay people in 2026 unironically sang Journey, Taylor Swift, and a heartfelt duet of My Heart Will Go On? Be so incredibly serious with me I know there's a deeply heterosexual millennial under that Scooby Doo cartoon villain mask you CANNOT do this to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2025
I’m… devastated. I hate reviewing ARCs so poorly. This book was one of my most anticipated reads of 2026. Orok getting his own book was supposed to be AMAZING, not… whatever happened here.
I think I started grimacing 7% of the way in, and never stopped. It never got better, just got a whoooole lot worse. I don’t even know what could have saved this book aside from a full rewrite. Something where the mc isn’t literally growling and repeating his italicized “mine” over and over just 10% into the book. The characters are so flat it was embarrassing to read. The love interest’s story felt VERY cheaply reminiscent of another book/character, but failed to deliver any of the emotional weight it needed. Everything was just a mess. I’m a mess. I set everything aside to read this and it was so bad I don’t even know if I can follow it up with anything else. Sara Raasch is (was?) an auto-read author for me but if I’d read this before any others, I don’t think I’d ever pick up another of her books.
I think I started grimacing 7% of the way in, and never stopped. It never got better, just got a whoooole lot worse. I don’t even know what could have saved this book aside from a full rewrite. Something where the mc isn’t literally growling and repeating his italicized “mine” over and over just 10% into the book. The characters are so flat it was embarrassing to read. The love interest’s story felt VERY cheaply reminiscent of another book/character, but failed to deliver any of the emotional weight it needed. Everything was just a mess. I’m a mess. I set everything aside to read this and it was so bad I don’t even know if I can follow it up with anything else. Sara Raasch is (was?) an auto-read author for me but if I’d read this before any others, I don’t think I’d ever pick up another of her books.
April 3, 2026
Once again very cute, very sweet, very sexy. Some parts of the story started to feel a little bit too over the top as it went on. But overall this is exactly what I wanted: a funny, entertaining fantasy romcom. I do prefer the first book but only because it’s a set up/relationship dynamic that’s I prefer.
Full review to come closer to release date (because apparently I only read my ARCs super early or super late)
Full review to come closer to release date (because apparently I only read my ARCs super early or super late)
May 19, 2026
i'm REALLY sad that i didn't like this! the first book was so good - the plot was plotting, the tension was tensioning, it was both fun and sweet.
however, this one is really boring. the relationship is very much love at first sight, and the tension feels manufactured. there's plot in here, but it failed to grip my attention enough for me to care. because both the plot and the romance felt boring/lackluster to me, i didn't enjoy this one much.
however, extra star goes to the seb and thio moments.
**thank you to Bramble for the ARC copy**
however, this one is really boring. the relationship is very much love at first sight, and the tension feels manufactured. there's plot in here, but it failed to grip my attention enough for me to care. because both the plot and the romance felt boring/lackluster to me, i didn't enjoy this one much.
however, extra star goes to the seb and thio moments.
**thank you to Bramble for the ARC copy**
April 29, 2026
Very sad to say that this book just did not land for me. I absolutely loved book 1, this was one of my most anticipated reads of 2026, but it fell completely flat for me.
I personally could not stand Oroks inner monologue. It was cringey, repetitive and hard to follow. The story felt way too heavy and out of pocket. I genuinely can’t believe this is the sequel to Rival Wizards, the tone and the writing just felt soooo different. Sad to say this just gave me the ick.
I personally could not stand Oroks inner monologue. It was cringey, repetitive and hard to follow. The story felt way too heavy and out of pocket. I genuinely can’t believe this is the sequel to Rival Wizards, the tone and the writing just felt soooo different. Sad to say this just gave me the ick.
May 22, 2026
Right so Oroks mother who experiences religious psychosis daily for his entire life is suddenly just okay with Orok’s decision to leave the church because a boy, mind you a DEMON boy, like a direct descendent of the Deity in direct opposition of her beloved church, wrote some letters to her about her son whom she has known his entire life yet some how doesn’t actually know him at all since she was so moved by these fuck ass letters?????
But Seb, who almost died multiple times, who was forced to damn near kill Orok to save both of them, who spent his entire academic career and beyond trying to figure out a way to ensure that whatever happened to him and Orok never happens to anyone again, who spent half his life with her AND his own family literally antagonizing and bullying him for something they didn’t understand nor try to understand, but she will actually just never forgive him? What’s worse is after she finds out about what happens at Camp Merethyl she DOUBLES DOWN On her actual hatred of Seb???
So basically you are saying an extremely catholic/christian mom will shun her son’s atheist friend but will celebrate the litterally great great great grandson of Satan because he said something nice about her son?????????
PLEASE do not piss me off!
This happened so close to the end but It made me put the book down and not want to finish it because like, what. the. fuck.
The writing was just okay, the humor and banter was just okay, but the decisions the author made actually infuriated me.
she did my boy Orok so dirty with this one. Turning him into this mindless, angry, grunting, beast over Bel. And for what reason? I get the reference but how dare you make him give me the ick??? Yea he’s a “jock” but he came across as a character with a lot of emotional depth in book one. In book two he is turned into a meat head who can only grunt mine mine mine in his head? Pls he deserved better.
I also wish their relationship has a little more tension. From start to end it was “no your so strong” “no you are” “no you are the strongest person I’ve ever met” “no how can you say that when you are so much stronger me” and just sapped all over each other and kinda pissed me off the whole time.
SO disappointed with this one. Which sucks cuz Book 1 was my fave book of 2025
But Seb, who almost died multiple times, who was forced to damn near kill Orok to save both of them, who spent his entire academic career and beyond trying to figure out a way to ensure that whatever happened to him and Orok never happens to anyone again, who spent half his life with her AND his own family literally antagonizing and bullying him for something they didn’t understand nor try to understand, but she will actually just never forgive him? What’s worse is after she finds out about what happens at Camp Merethyl she DOUBLES DOWN On her actual hatred of Seb???
So basically you are saying an extremely catholic/christian mom will shun her son’s atheist friend but will celebrate the litterally great great great grandson of Satan because he said something nice about her son?????????
PLEASE do not piss me off!
This happened so close to the end but It made me put the book down and not want to finish it because like, what. the. fuck.
The writing was just okay, the humor and banter was just okay, but the decisions the author made actually infuriated me.
she did my boy Orok so dirty with this one. Turning him into this mindless, angry, grunting, beast over Bel. And for what reason? I get the reference but how dare you make him give me the ick??? Yea he’s a “jock” but he came across as a character with a lot of emotional depth in book one. In book two he is turned into a meat head who can only grunt mine mine mine in his head? Pls he deserved better.
I also wish their relationship has a little more tension. From start to end it was “no your so strong” “no you are” “no you are the strongest person I’ve ever met” “no how can you say that when you are so much stronger me” and just sapped all over each other and kinda pissed me off the whole time.
SO disappointed with this one. Which sucks cuz Book 1 was my fave book of 2025
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2026
"... that’s what friends do: help each other breathe.”
---------------------
If you hear me screaming, I promise it's from excitement
---------------------
If you hear me screaming, I promise it's from excitement
July 17, 2026
I don’t know; it was fine, but Orok also did a 180 from his personality in the previous book. The romance between him and Belle went from 0 to 100, from stilted and awkward conversations to endless love and devotion. I’m sorry, but was the romance development in the room with us? The narrator didn't help either; all the growling during the sexy times made me cringe so much that I had to skip them. Maybe if I had read it with my eyes, I would have liked it better, but honestly, I don't think so.
This book suffers from too many time skips where apparently things happened, but we don't see them; just the result, too much telling and very little showing, and an excessive amount of current pop culture references in a world where minothaurs exist; we also had to deal with endless mentions of Taylor Swift, Celine Dion, Queen, etc, like how does this make sense? Seb & Thio were the best part of this book. Maybe I should accept that this author has only a 50%ish success rate with me.
This book suffers from too many time skips where apparently things happened, but we don't see them; just the result, too much telling and very little showing, and an excessive amount of current pop culture references in a world where minothaurs exist; we also had to deal with endless mentions of Taylor Swift, Celine Dion, Queen, etc, like how does this make sense? Seb & Thio were the best part of this book. Maybe I should accept that this author has only a 50%ish success rate with me.
Read
May 1, 2026Gay sports romance but make it fantasy! This was a fun, often frothy gay romance set in a magical world with a very protective and somewhat possessive athlete and the cute cheerleader he falls head over heels for. This has some ties to book 1 in the series and gets into some of the trauma both characters have in their past. Their relationship begins as a PR stunt but quickly turns real. It's sexy, sometimes silly, but also heartfelt. The audio narration is great! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
May 25, 2026
I do not believe The Fake Divination Offense was written by the same person who wrote The Entanglement of Rival Wizards. I am not being dramatic. You cannot convince me otherwise.
This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I have a special edition pre-ordered. And I am genuinely, deeply disappointed.
The Orok in this book is not my Orok. The gentle, thoughtful, sensitive half-giant we glimpsed in Rival Wizards, the one I was so excited to finally spend a whole book with, is simply not here. In his place is a man who is angry, possessive, and operating on a vocabulary of approximately one word: mine. He growls constantly. He stalks Bel back to his house. He has met this man twice and is completely unhinged about it, and not in a fun way. Bel, for his part, is equally feral after the same two interactions. I don't know what happened. I need answers.
What could have been a rich, layered exploration of trauma, healing, and acceptance is instead paper-thin. Emotions glossed over in favour of possession, every plot thread that promised a real emotional payoff landing completely flat.
And the tropes. For a sports romance, there is astonishingly little sport. I finished this book still unable to tell you what Rawball is, how it's played, or what any of the positions do. I know they have cheerleaders. The fake dating conceit amounts to roughly one date before it's essentially abandoned, and then Orok is kissing Bel in a car after the aforementioned stalking incident, so.
Where did he go? Where is the Orok I was promised? What was this book? I just want to know what happened.
This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I have a special edition pre-ordered. And I am genuinely, deeply disappointed.
The Orok in this book is not my Orok. The gentle, thoughtful, sensitive half-giant we glimpsed in Rival Wizards, the one I was so excited to finally spend a whole book with, is simply not here. In his place is a man who is angry, possessive, and operating on a vocabulary of approximately one word: mine. He growls constantly. He stalks Bel back to his house. He has met this man twice and is completely unhinged about it, and not in a fun way. Bel, for his part, is equally feral after the same two interactions. I don't know what happened. I need answers.
What could have been a rich, layered exploration of trauma, healing, and acceptance is instead paper-thin. Emotions glossed over in favour of possession, every plot thread that promised a real emotional payoff landing completely flat.
And the tropes. For a sports romance, there is astonishingly little sport. I finished this book still unable to tell you what Rawball is, how it's played, or what any of the positions do. I know they have cheerleaders. The fake dating conceit amounts to roughly one date before it's essentially abandoned, and then Orok is kissing Bel in a car after the aforementioned stalking incident, so.
Where did he go? Where is the Orok I was promised? What was this book? I just want to know what happened.
June 6, 2026
Well that was a fun ride 👀🥵
At first, I was not sure I was liking the narration of this book, but as I slowly got into it, the more I fell in love with the characters, the story, and even the narrator.
Orok is the sweetest giant with a horrible past and he made me feel so many emotions for him. In comes this tiny, sparkly gem of man, Alexo, and things start to go a little sideways — in the best way.
This was most fun, but had a little bit of worldbuilding, especially to hit on some of the emotional aspects!
Overall
4 ⭐️
2 🌶️
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC !
At first, I was not sure I was liking the narration of this book, but as I slowly got into it, the more I fell in love with the characters, the story, and even the narrator.
Orok is the sweetest giant with a horrible past and he made me feel so many emotions for him. In comes this tiny, sparkly gem of man, Alexo, and things start to go a little sideways — in the best way.
This was most fun, but had a little bit of worldbuilding, especially to hit on some of the emotional aspects!
Overall
4 ⭐️
2 🌶️
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC !
June 18, 2026
This was an okay book, it was a little obsessive for my taste, lol. Definitely 3.5🌟 but rounded up because I love this author. However, it took a while for me to get into this story, they just seemed really whiny to me.
May 19, 2026
If you enjoy:
🌈 one man who looks like he could bench-press a carriage but is secretly a cinnamon roll
🌈 one tiny menace with enough sass to level an empire
🌈 “touch him and die” energy so intense it should be classified as a weapon
🌈 and a romance so swoony it made me kick my feet like a Victorian maiden with zero survival instincts
then congratulations, this book was specifically crafted to ruin your life 🙂↕️
First of all, the gentle giant/feral pocket-sized disaster dynamic? Elite. Utterly unmatched. One of them could crush a wall with his bare hands, and the other could destroy a person with a single cutting remark and perfectly arched eyebrow. Together, they are my favorite flavor of chaos 👏🏼
And the protective energy? OBSESSED. The “touch him and die” vibes were so strong that I half expected someone to get vaporized on the spot for breathing too close. Nothing says romance like staring at your beloved as though you’re ready to commit several felonies in his honor.
But beneath all the banter, flirting, and mutual yearning that had me screaming into a pillow, this story has so much heart. I loved the exploration of what happens when you’ve spent your entire life performing the version of yourself that your religion, family, and society demanded, only to realize that maybe, just maybe, those expectations were never yours to carry in the first place. The character growth? Stunning. The emotional payoff? Absolutely delicious.
And the romance? Dear lord. The chemistry was so potent I could feel it through the pages. Tender, funny, and deeply romantic in that “I would destroy the world but also gently hold your hand” kind of way. But also show you the BEST time behind closed doors 😏 I love them. I love them so much.
Also, seeing more of Thio and Sebastian felt like running into your two favorite chaotic friends at brunch and immediately demanding all the gossip. Yay for these two nuggets!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be over here swooning, sobbing, and threatening anyone who dares touch these characters 💅🏼📚🔮
And forever thankful to Bramble for the gifted arc 🥹🥹🥹
🌈 one man who looks like he could bench-press a carriage but is secretly a cinnamon roll
🌈 one tiny menace with enough sass to level an empire
🌈 “touch him and die” energy so intense it should be classified as a weapon
🌈 and a romance so swoony it made me kick my feet like a Victorian maiden with zero survival instincts
then congratulations, this book was specifically crafted to ruin your life 🙂↕️
First of all, the gentle giant/feral pocket-sized disaster dynamic? Elite. Utterly unmatched. One of them could crush a wall with his bare hands, and the other could destroy a person with a single cutting remark and perfectly arched eyebrow. Together, they are my favorite flavor of chaos 👏🏼
And the protective energy? OBSESSED. The “touch him and die” vibes were so strong that I half expected someone to get vaporized on the spot for breathing too close. Nothing says romance like staring at your beloved as though you’re ready to commit several felonies in his honor.
But beneath all the banter, flirting, and mutual yearning that had me screaming into a pillow, this story has so much heart. I loved the exploration of what happens when you’ve spent your entire life performing the version of yourself that your religion, family, and society demanded, only to realize that maybe, just maybe, those expectations were never yours to carry in the first place. The character growth? Stunning. The emotional payoff? Absolutely delicious.
And the romance? Dear lord. The chemistry was so potent I could feel it through the pages. Tender, funny, and deeply romantic in that “I would destroy the world but also gently hold your hand” kind of way. But also show you the BEST time behind closed doors 😏 I love them. I love them so much.
Also, seeing more of Thio and Sebastian felt like running into your two favorite chaotic friends at brunch and immediately demanding all the gossip. Yay for these two nuggets!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be over here swooning, sobbing, and threatening anyone who dares touch these characters 💅🏼📚🔮
And forever thankful to Bramble for the gifted arc 🥹🥹🥹
November 12, 2025
3.5/5 stars
(I rounded it up, though)
Thank you to TOR/Bramble for allowing me to read this book so far in advance in trade for an honest review.
I have to be honest and say that this is, regretably, my least favorite of her adult books so far. I found the discussion of religious deconstruction rather interesting, but it fundamentally gets lost behind a lot of the bells and whistles of the story for me. It was just a little bit all over the place if I am being transparent. I think it tried to tackle just a little bit too much for a "rom-com".
I will also be honest and share that this particular flavor of...erm... sexual dynamics isn't one that I am a fan of personally. That doesn't make it BAD, it just makes it to where it wasn't for me and made a lot of the book somewhat hard to get through. Just not my preferred dynamic. If you're into what's going on here, you'll probably love it. I am just not big on the whole "possessive manly man protects small feminine twink/size difference" thing.
Also, she definitely explains what Rawball is and how it works, but I still absolutely have no clue. I tried my best, okay? I just don't think I am meant to understand sports, fantasy or not. I thought I had a chance at it due to my understanding of D&D... but I've got nothing. Maybe one day I will get it.
Overall, it was mostly enjoyable. There are some AMAZING jokes in this and I enjoyed the cameos from Seb and Thio a ton!
(I rounded it up, though)
Thank you to TOR/Bramble for allowing me to read this book so far in advance in trade for an honest review.
I have to be honest and say that this is, regretably, my least favorite of her adult books so far. I found the discussion of religious deconstruction rather interesting, but it fundamentally gets lost behind a lot of the bells and whistles of the story for me. It was just a little bit all over the place if I am being transparent. I think it tried to tackle just a little bit too much for a "rom-com".
I will also be honest and share that this particular flavor of...erm... sexual dynamics isn't one that I am a fan of personally. That doesn't make it BAD, it just makes it to where it wasn't for me and made a lot of the book somewhat hard to get through. Just not my preferred dynamic. If you're into what's going on here, you'll probably love it. I am just not big on the whole "possessive manly man protects small feminine twink/size difference" thing.
Also, she definitely explains what Rawball is and how it works, but I still absolutely have no clue. I tried my best, okay? I just don't think I am meant to understand sports, fantasy or not. I thought I had a chance at it due to my understanding of D&D... but I've got nothing. Maybe one day I will get it.
Overall, it was mostly enjoyable. There are some AMAZING jokes in this and I enjoyed the cameos from Seb and Thio a ton!
May 9, 2026
First of all, thank you to Tor and Bramble for the opportunity to read this book so early 🥹 This was perfection.
Osric deserves literally everything good in this world, and it was so powerful to be able to experience all of his emotions, insecurities, and hesitation from his POV. He is a character that exudes strength, and it was such a juxtaposition to hear what is happening in his brain. It also made me think about how people can perceive interactions, due to insecurities and the way people think they’re coming across vs. how they actually come across.
I truly loved the way she portrayed religion in this one. As someone who has my fair share of religious trauma for growing up in a church, I think she really nailed how much guilt you can have surrounding just wanting to follow your own way and move forward. But also having to appear a certain way for reasons that aren’t necessarily right.
ALSO. The way she got into the actual fundamentals of Rawball was a masterpiece. I can really tell that this was FUN for the author to write, because it was incredible to read. Boooo Chimeras!!!
Thank you again! This was incredible.
Osric deserves literally everything good in this world, and it was so powerful to be able to experience all of his emotions, insecurities, and hesitation from his POV. He is a character that exudes strength, and it was such a juxtaposition to hear what is happening in his brain. It also made me think about how people can perceive interactions, due to insecurities and the way people think they’re coming across vs. how they actually come across.
I truly loved the way she portrayed religion in this one. As someone who has my fair share of religious trauma for growing up in a church, I think she really nailed how much guilt you can have surrounding just wanting to follow your own way and move forward. But also having to appear a certain way for reasons that aren’t necessarily right.
ALSO. The way she got into the actual fundamentals of Rawball was a masterpiece. I can really tell that this was FUN for the author to write, because it was incredible to read. Boooo Chimeras!!!
Thank you again! This was incredible.
July 25, 2026
pretty meh
June 8, 2026
I love them. They are too cute for words.
May 27, 2026
Devastated
I genuinely think this might be one of the most disappointing reads I’ll have all year because the expectations I had for this book were INSANE.
You guys already know how obsessed I am with The Entanglement of Rival Wizards. I loved that book so much that I had already preordered TWO special editions of Orok’s book before release because I was THAT excited for it. The second this released, I dropped everything on my TBR to start it immediately.
And now I’m sitting here genuinely confused about what happened.
The Fake Divination Offense follows Orok, the half-giant defensive player for the Hellhounds, and Alexo/Bel, a human cheerleader hiding dangerous secrets. After Orok saves him during an incident at a bar, the team pushes them into a fake dating PR relationship to improve Orok’s public image while he struggles with his faith, his team, and the growing obsession he develops toward Alexo.
At least… that’s what the book is SUPPOSED to be.
Because somehow this managed to be a fake dating sports romance where the fake dating barely happens on page and the sports barely matter either. We spend so much time being told things are happening instead of actually experiencing them. The dates are glossed over, the emotional development feels skipped, and despite the stakes supposedly being huge, almost every conflict resolves itself way too easily or off-page.
And that’s my biggest issue with this book:
nothing felt earned.
Orok and Alexo barely even TALK for a huge portion of the beginning, yet Orok is already obsessively attached and ready to sacrifice everything for him. I never understood WHY. The emotional connection was never developed in a believable way for me, so instead of finding it romantic, it honestly came across kind of cringy and weirdly possessive at times.
And Orok himself…
God, I hate saying this because I was SO excited for him, but he genuinely gave me the ick multiple times throughout this book. Half the time he’s growling, angry, internally whining, or obsessively repeating the same thoughts over and over again. It became incredibly repetitive. There’s only so many times I can read the same possessive internal monologue before I start losing my mind a little.
Another huge issue for me was the way this book was marketed versus what we actually got from Alexo’s character.
Maybe this is just me, but all the promo and buildup around this book made it seem like Alexo was going to be this chaotic, dominant, sassy, manipulative demon of a character. Like genuinely someone who would match Orok’s energy and challenge him in an intense way. I was expecting tension. Brattiness. A push and pull dynamic. Someone a little dangerous or morally messy.
And then… we got none of that?
The disconnect between what I expected and who Alexo actually was completely threw me off while reading because the character I had built in my head from all the marketing simply did not exist on page. He felt surprisingly passive and whiny for most of the story and their dynamic never developed into the fiery matchup I thought we were being promised.
Which honestly made the romance even harder for me to connect to because I kept waiting for this explosive chemistry and instead it just never fully materialize in the way I expected.
Which is devastating because book one had so much charm, chemistry, humor, and emotional payoff. This one felt like it was trying to juggle twenty different plotlines at once and somehow none of them landed in a satisfying way. The religious conflict, the team dynamics, the playoffs, the fake dating, Alexo’s secrets, Orok leaving his god, the cult subplot… EVERYTHING felt underdeveloped or conveniently resolved.
There were entire plot points being built up for chapters that either disappeared, got solved in two seconds, or ended with absolutely no payoff whatsoever. I kept waiting for the emotional catharsis to finally hit and it just… never came.
And honestly? I think that’s why this review feels so dramatic for me 😭 because this wasn’t some random book I picked up casually. This was one of my MOST anticipated reads of the year. I went into this expecting another comfort read and instead spent most of the book confused.
The ONLY reason this is getting three stars instead of two is because seeing Seb and Thio again genuinely made me so happy. Every time they were on page I immediately remembered why I loved this universe in the first place. They carried so much of the emotional enjoyment for me because otherwise I think this would’ve been an even rougher experience.
I’m just sad, honestly.
Sad.
Confused.
Disappointed.
And still trying to process how a book I was SO certain I was going to love ended up feeling like such a mess for me.
I genuinely think this might be one of the most disappointing reads I’ll have all year because the expectations I had for this book were INSANE.
You guys already know how obsessed I am with The Entanglement of Rival Wizards. I loved that book so much that I had already preordered TWO special editions of Orok’s book before release because I was THAT excited for it. The second this released, I dropped everything on my TBR to start it immediately.
And now I’m sitting here genuinely confused about what happened.
The Fake Divination Offense follows Orok, the half-giant defensive player for the Hellhounds, and Alexo/Bel, a human cheerleader hiding dangerous secrets. After Orok saves him during an incident at a bar, the team pushes them into a fake dating PR relationship to improve Orok’s public image while he struggles with his faith, his team, and the growing obsession he develops toward Alexo.
At least… that’s what the book is SUPPOSED to be.
Because somehow this managed to be a fake dating sports romance where the fake dating barely happens on page and the sports barely matter either. We spend so much time being told things are happening instead of actually experiencing them. The dates are glossed over, the emotional development feels skipped, and despite the stakes supposedly being huge, almost every conflict resolves itself way too easily or off-page.
And that’s my biggest issue with this book:
nothing felt earned.
Orok and Alexo barely even TALK for a huge portion of the beginning, yet Orok is already obsessively attached and ready to sacrifice everything for him. I never understood WHY. The emotional connection was never developed in a believable way for me, so instead of finding it romantic, it honestly came across kind of cringy and weirdly possessive at times.
And Orok himself…
God, I hate saying this because I was SO excited for him, but he genuinely gave me the ick multiple times throughout this book. Half the time he’s growling, angry, internally whining, or obsessively repeating the same thoughts over and over again. It became incredibly repetitive. There’s only so many times I can read the same possessive internal monologue before I start losing my mind a little.
Another huge issue for me was the way this book was marketed versus what we actually got from Alexo’s character.
Maybe this is just me, but all the promo and buildup around this book made it seem like Alexo was going to be this chaotic, dominant, sassy, manipulative demon of a character. Like genuinely someone who would match Orok’s energy and challenge him in an intense way. I was expecting tension. Brattiness. A push and pull dynamic. Someone a little dangerous or morally messy.
And then… we got none of that?
The disconnect between what I expected and who Alexo actually was completely threw me off while reading because the character I had built in my head from all the marketing simply did not exist on page. He felt surprisingly passive and whiny for most of the story and their dynamic never developed into the fiery matchup I thought we were being promised.
Which honestly made the romance even harder for me to connect to because I kept waiting for this explosive chemistry and instead it just never fully materialize in the way I expected.
Which is devastating because book one had so much charm, chemistry, humor, and emotional payoff. This one felt like it was trying to juggle twenty different plotlines at once and somehow none of them landed in a satisfying way. The religious conflict, the team dynamics, the playoffs, the fake dating, Alexo’s secrets, Orok leaving his god, the cult subplot… EVERYTHING felt underdeveloped or conveniently resolved.
There were entire plot points being built up for chapters that either disappeared, got solved in two seconds, or ended with absolutely no payoff whatsoever. I kept waiting for the emotional catharsis to finally hit and it just… never came.
And honestly? I think that’s why this review feels so dramatic for me 😭 because this wasn’t some random book I picked up casually. This was one of my MOST anticipated reads of the year. I went into this expecting another comfort read and instead spent most of the book confused.
The ONLY reason this is getting three stars instead of two is because seeing Seb and Thio again genuinely made me so happy. Every time they were on page I immediately remembered why I loved this universe in the first place. They carried so much of the emotional enjoyment for me because otherwise I think this would’ve been an even rougher experience.
I’m just sad, honestly.
Sad.
Confused.
Disappointed.
And still trying to process how a book I was SO certain I was going to love ended up feeling like such a mess for me.
Read
March 25, 2026Unfortunately this second installment of this series really didn’t work for me. I caught myself mostly skimming, so soft dnfing for now.
The first book was so fun and freaking hilarious? I feel like I’m doubting my entire experience of book 1 now bc this felt too saccharine and from what I read, not nearly as funny. The romance was also very insta adoration. Probably because the MMC is working through some things but it just wasn’t compelling to me. The whole set up of book 1 was also much angstier. The meet cute here is though karaoke… I got le ick. :(
This was a bummer, highly anticipated one for me.
The first book was so fun and freaking hilarious? I feel like I’m doubting my entire experience of book 1 now bc this felt too saccharine and from what I read, not nearly as funny. The romance was also very insta adoration. Probably because the MMC is working through some things but it just wasn’t compelling to me. The whole set up of book 1 was also much angstier. The meet cute here is though karaoke… I got le ick. :(
This was a bummer, highly anticipated one for me.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
the longest sigh in the world. okay, I think four books is enough, that's enough Sara Raasch for me.
when you think about how in the first Christmas Prince book, she wouldn't even say the word dick during the sex scenes, and how we've come (hehehe) so far, though? inspirational. growth. love to see it.
"Just a pile of rocks on the stage while the instrumentals for 'Sweet Caroline' play on" made me laugh aloud pretty hard.
when you think about how in the first Christmas Prince book, she wouldn't even say the word dick during the sex scenes, and how we've come (hehehe) so far, though? inspirational. growth. love to see it.
"Just a pile of rocks on the stage while the instrumentals for 'Sweet Caroline' play on" made me laugh aloud pretty hard.
July 18, 2026
3.5⭐
I liked this one, but it was still a bit of a disappointment after the first book. Definitely still better than the Kissmass drag. Both rawball and cultists are more interesting than the damn santa politics (never getting over how stupidly boring that shit was) but this book unfortunately doesn't really tap into them.
There's only two matches described, and Orok hardly participates in one of those. The craziness of this sport could have created some entertaining moments. And the cultists really should have hit home with me, and they didn't. I partly forgive that because the cultists were supposed to be kind of pathetic here. But when the story doesn't really deliver in either of these major plot points, what's left? Fake dating and karaoke? PTSD and religion?
The little news broadcasts were quite cringeworthy, but otherwise I enjoyed the humour. And I did like the two MCs together, though I feel the development could have been better too. But Orok was very codependent with Sebastian so it made sense to me that he might get just a tad obsessed with someone else too, namely this cute pink-haired twink. Orok is basically a chivalrous stalker, luckily that is pretty much what Alexo needs.
It took a little bit too long for Alexo's secrets to come to light, the book was losing momentum there, and picked up again after that. But then the whole cultist thing was almost forgotten again, until it slapped everyone in the face. It was... okay. I wasn't a big fan of this showdown but it wasn't bad. High praise, heh.
So I liked the humour mostly, the relationship pretty much, and the found family thing was lovely, for sure. Not only Sebastian and Theo from thr first book, but Orok's new team too. There were some properly delicious moments, humorous and otherwise. I had niggles, but I also had good times.
I liked this one, but it was still a bit of a disappointment after the first book. Definitely still better than the Kissmass drag. Both rawball and cultists are more interesting than the damn santa politics (never getting over how stupidly boring that shit was) but this book unfortunately doesn't really tap into them.
There's only two matches described, and Orok hardly participates in one of those. The craziness of this sport could have created some entertaining moments. And the cultists really should have hit home with me, and they didn't. I partly forgive that because the cultists were supposed to be kind of pathetic here. But when the story doesn't really deliver in either of these major plot points, what's left? Fake dating and karaoke? PTSD and religion?
The little news broadcasts were quite cringeworthy, but otherwise I enjoyed the humour. And I did like the two MCs together, though I feel the development could have been better too. But Orok was very codependent with Sebastian so it made sense to me that he might get just a tad obsessed with someone else too, namely this cute pink-haired twink. Orok is basically a chivalrous stalker, luckily that is pretty much what Alexo needs.
It took a little bit too long for Alexo's secrets to come to light, the book was losing momentum there, and picked up again after that. But then the whole cultist thing was almost forgotten again, until it slapped everyone in the face. It was... okay. I wasn't a big fan of this showdown but it wasn't bad. High praise, heh.
So I liked the humour mostly, the relationship pretty much, and the found family thing was lovely, for sure. Not only Sebastian and Theo from thr first book, but Orok's new team too. There were some properly delicious moments, humorous and otherwise. I had niggles, but I also had good times.
June 4, 2026
I think I might have liked this more than the first book. Orok and Alexo are just flat our adorable and perfect for each other. One wants to own completely, and one wants to be completely owned. A perfect match. Right away they have this wonderful chemistry - so when they are forced together because of some crazy circumstances, they fit together like puzzle pieces.
Part of this story is actually pretty heartbreaking because Orok knows he's prone to codependency, so in order to counter that he flips way to the other end of the spectrum and becomes aloof and distant, not one to share his feelings. Its hard for him to find that balance and it keeps him from getting close to others. Between this and the religious trauma, it gets pretty deep and emotional for a cute 'RomCom.'
One other fantastic element to this story is the amazing friendships that are solidified and new ones that are made. You get to see a lot of Seb and Thio which leads to a lot of hilarious moments, and you get to meet a whole team of new characters that are surrounding Orok and Alexo. So many lovable characters. Such a great read.
Urban Fantasy MM
Emotional RomCom
Religious Trauma
VERY Protective MC
Giant Cinnamon Roll
Size Difference
Fake Dating
Spice: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Part of this story is actually pretty heartbreaking because Orok knows he's prone to codependency, so in order to counter that he flips way to the other end of the spectrum and becomes aloof and distant, not one to share his feelings. Its hard for him to find that balance and it keeps him from getting close to others. Between this and the religious trauma, it gets pretty deep and emotional for a cute 'RomCom.'
One other fantastic element to this story is the amazing friendships that are solidified and new ones that are made. You get to see a lot of Seb and Thio which leads to a lot of hilarious moments, and you get to meet a whole team of new characters that are surrounding Orok and Alexo. So many lovable characters. Such a great read.
Urban Fantasy MM
Emotional RomCom
Religious Trauma
VERY Protective MC
Giant Cinnamon Roll
Size Difference
Fake Dating
Spice: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
July 2, 2026
giggling and kicking my feet over this one (masculine style)
July 1, 2026
LGBTQ Sports Fantasy Rom
Book 2 in series. Fairly spicy.
What you need to know:
A Rawball defensive tank and a cheerleader are thrust into a PR relationship after a bar rescue hit social media. Their relationship quickly becomes real but puts them dangerously in the media’s eye and they’ve got secrets that have life-altering consequences.
Amazing, single narrator.
I somehow love every book more than the last. SR pours so much heart into every MMC. We don’t just get in their heads, we’re in their hearts and hopes and nightmares. The result is nothing short of swoony and the best kind of overwhelming feels. SR expertly pairs trauma with healing and humor for a story that feels laden with hope. The audiobook was absolutely AMAZING! Vikas Adam’s performance is stunning! I was absolutely cackling and loved the wide range of voices and characters.
Book 2 in series. Fairly spicy.
What you need to know:
A Rawball defensive tank and a cheerleader are thrust into a PR relationship after a bar rescue hit social media. Their relationship quickly becomes real but puts them dangerously in the media’s eye and they’ve got secrets that have life-altering consequences.
Amazing, single narrator.
I somehow love every book more than the last. SR pours so much heart into every MMC. We don’t just get in their heads, we’re in their hearts and hopes and nightmares. The result is nothing short of swoony and the best kind of overwhelming feels. SR expertly pairs trauma with healing and humor for a story that feels laden with hope. The audiobook was absolutely AMAZING! Vikas Adam’s performance is stunning! I was absolutely cackling and loved the wide range of voices and characters.
April 29, 2026
ARC from Macmillan audio
Release: May 19th 2026
Omg this was such a fun, kinky and hilarious MM romance with dashes of fantasy. I ate this up ! love my Beauty and Beast duo they were so hot together 🤪❤️🔥📚
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release: May 19th 2026
Omg this was such a fun, kinky and hilarious MM romance with dashes of fantasy. I ate this up ! love my Beauty and Beast duo they were so hot together 🤪❤️🔥📚
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Soft DNF at 48%, solely due to the narrator. I listen to so many audiobooks and rarely run into this but this narrator is doing too much and it makes it really hard to connect with the story. The first spicy scene made me uncomfortable with some of the choices the narrator made-- I really wanna know what happens though so I'll have to eyeball read this when it comes out.
I also want to add that the way the narrator does characters from the previous book (mainly Seb) feels so far from the Seb of The Entanglement of Rival Wizards' audiobook that it really annoyed me because I loved that book.
Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC!
I also want to add that the way the narrator does characters from the previous book (mainly Seb) feels so far from the Seb of The Entanglement of Rival Wizards' audiobook that it really annoyed me because I loved that book.
Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC!
May 23, 2026
How does Sara Raasch manage to blow me away with every book of hers that I read? How?!? She deftly combines epic fantasy world building, humour, emotional character arcs and a brewing bubbling plot that just races towards the end.
Orok and Alexo’s story was a unique reading experience for me. I was pulled in my the cheeky humour laced with a struggling Orok’s need for belonging and I stayed for the connection and adventure Orok and Alexo went on, which is the opposite of any trope or miscommunication romance plot line and as far from predictable as you can get
Orok definitely falls first but they both fall hard. The way Bel defends Orok is seriously pump your fist in the air and cheer kind of moment. I also loved how brave Bel is how resilient and he needs Orok’s inherent optimism - life is tough now but life can change and we won’t stop trying. It’s a great message!
I loved the Hellhounds - what an awesome team! The way they rally around Orok! Also why is his mom so crabby and whiny- ugh I was truly bugged and his dad needs to do lore for him, I’m so glad he has Bel now
He also has Seb and Thio! I think one of my favourite parts is the evolving relationship between Orok and Seb and how Seb teaches him self acceptance. We all need someone in our lives like Seb 🙌🏻
This is definitely at its core a Fantasy Rom Com but it’s so much more. If you’re looking to be thoroughly entertained and also emotionally moved, pick this book up asap.
Orok and Alexo’s story was a unique reading experience for me. I was pulled in my the cheeky humour laced with a struggling Orok’s need for belonging and I stayed for the connection and adventure Orok and Alexo went on, which is the opposite of any trope or miscommunication romance plot line and as far from predictable as you can get
Orok definitely falls first but they both fall hard. The way Bel defends Orok is seriously pump your fist in the air and cheer kind of moment. I also loved how brave Bel is how resilient and he needs Orok’s inherent optimism - life is tough now but life can change and we won’t stop trying. It’s a great message!
I loved the Hellhounds - what an awesome team! The way they rally around Orok! Also why is his mom so crabby and whiny- ugh I was truly bugged and his dad needs to do lore for him, I’m so glad he has Bel now
He also has Seb and Thio! I think one of my favourite parts is the evolving relationship between Orok and Seb and how Seb teaches him self acceptance. We all need someone in our lives like Seb 🙌🏻
This is definitely at its core a Fantasy Rom Com but it’s so much more. If you’re looking to be thoroughly entertained and also emotionally moved, pick this book up asap.
July 27, 2026
I am addicted to Sara Raasch. Her books just always hit the spot for me.
Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes so I'm biased.
Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes so I'm biased.
May 26, 2026
SARA RAASCH IS MY RELIGIOM
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